Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) plans to switch from its in-house operating system to an Android OS when it releases its new line of Fire tablets next year, according to Reuters.
The retail and tech giant is also releasing a more advanced tablet in a project known internally as Kittyhawk, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the issue. The new model is expected to cost about $400. Although that is nearly double the cost of the latest Fire tablets, such as the Amazon Fire Max 11, it is still less than half the starting price of an Apple (AAPL) iPad Pro 11-inch.
The change to Android as the Fire’s OS appears to be a response to years of customer and application developer complaints over its in-house system, the report said. The reliance on a custom OS has limited the variety and number of apps available for the Fire tablet.
Apple’s iPad continues to dominate the tablet market, with a market share of 33% during the second quarter of 2025, according to the report, citing IDC data. Samsung ranks next with 18.7%, followed by Lenova with 8.2% and Amazon at 8%.